Trading Firm Virtu Plans IPO, Seeks Goldman's Help: Report

Trading firm Virtu Financial LLC is planning to go public and has hired Goldman Sachs (GS) to help it with the process, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.

New York-based Virtu, a market maker in equities, fixed income, currencies and commodities markets, is planning to submit a confidential IPO filing under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act within the next couple of months, said one of the sources.

The sources wished to remain anonymous because they are not permitted to speak to the media.

Virtu and Goldman Sachs declined to comment.

Virtu will likely bring in other banks to help with the IPO, but has not yet chosen them, the sources said.

Virtu has around 150 employees and offices in Europe and Asia, as well as the United States.

The firm, which is backed by private equity firm Silver Lake, had bid for embattled market-making firm Knight Capital Group last year and planned to take the company private. Virtu lost out to Getco Holding Co on the acquisition. Getco went public upon merging with Knight and is now called KCG Holdings Inc.

The Wall Street Journal initially reported on Wednesday that Virtu had hired Goldman Sachs for an IPO.

(Reporting by Jessica Toonkel and John McCrank in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)